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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	call_v	know_v	write_v	3,047	5	5.1180	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88645	The practice of godlines or brief rules directing Christians how to keep their hearts in a constant holy frame, and how to order their conversation aright. With an addition concerning self-examination, and the nature of faith. / By Henry Lukin minister of the gospel.	Lukin, H. (Henry), 1628-1719.	1659 (1659)	Wing L3479; Thomason E2107_2; ESTC R210051	38,795	129

fears when I considered that these things were of daily use to Christians and therefore they would be put upon a frequent perusall of them whereby they may more easily both remark and understand those things which in one cursory reading might escape their observation yea I have enlarged somewhat where I thought most needfull which hath occasioned that disproportion of parts which thou mayest observe in the Book for it is plainness and usefullness not neatness or symetry which I have aimed at And now Reader what arguments shall I use to encourage or perswade thee to follow these Directions when thou hast read them If there be any regard to be had to the glory of God to the good of others to the peace and happiness of thine own soul think on these things First This is the way to glorifie God in your conversations when you walk blameless and harmless as his Children without rebuke shining as lights in the world Phil. 2.15 Mat. 5.16 Joh. 15.8 and the Name of God is dishonoured by the loose careless walking of Christians Rom. 2.23 24. Secondly This will be a means to recover the lost credit of Christianity Christians are not so singular as they should be Mat. 5.47 they are too much fashioned to this world Rom. 12.2 hereby prophane ones are hardened against the wayes of God others confirmed in their prejudice against the principles of our profession the imputation of Christs Righteousness to our justification the necessity of his grace to our sanctification the certain perseverance of believers c. and all the arguments which we can use to vindicate them from the imputation of cherishing licentiousness will never convince gainsayers unless we enforce them by the reall proofs of an holy conversation See then that you walk circumspectly Ephes 5.15 that you may by well-doing put to stlence the ignorance of foolish men 1 Pet. 2.15 That you may cut off eccasion from those that desire occasion that wherein they glory they may be found even as you 2 Cor. 11.12 3. This will be a means to gain those that are without 1 Pet. 3.1 and to provoke to emulation those that are within 2 Cor. 9.2 4. This will be a good means to make your calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 compared with ver 5. In the 10th verse the Apostle doth re-inforce his exhortation which he had laid down in the 5th verse by a new argument as if he had said the rather give diligence to add to faith virtue c. to the end you may make your calling and election sure 5. This will be the way to have comfort both in life and death the testimony of a good conscience will be a comfort to us in every condition 2 Cor. 1.12 especially when we come to lye down in the dust of death 2 Tim. 4.7 Some will object it may be that this is more then needs and why should we impose any unnecessary burden upon Christians To this I must say that it is an unsavoury objection and not becoming a godly man To enquire only what is necessary and what we must do if we will get to Heaven argues more self-love then love to God more care of our own welfare then of the glory of God or how we may do those things which may please him 2. If all the rules which I have given be not necessary by vertue of any speciall command as I am sure most of them are yet they are necessary as means to order our conversation aright But if thine objection be intended chiefly against this particular modell which I have drawn up after so many Treatises on the same subject I confess then I shall not have so much to say against it I freely acknowledg that many worthy men have laboured herein more fit in many respects for such an undertaking then my self and I must leave every one to their liberty to use such helps as seem best to them only this I shall say that I think I have not only done that which was done before Some have indeed written excellently at large of these things but some Christians cannot so easily read larger Treatises nor so easily gather up the sum of them to carry in their minds these short rules may be usefull to such and those that have leisure and opportunity may make use of them for the clearer explication of these Some have written excellent brief Manuals but have insisted much upon such things as I have here purposely omitted that I might not actum agere as vows meditations and the use thereof in quickening affections and strengthening resolu●ions if thou savourest the things that be of God I dare commend to thee what hath been written on this subject by my worthy Friend Mr Tho White Others have written indeed excellent things on this Subject but there is in their Books such a mixture of Popish principles and superstition that weaker Christians which have not their senses exercised to discern good and evil can scarce without danger make use of them In what I have here written I know nothing that is called in question especially in the Directions by any sober man for I have kept within the safe bounds of acknowledged truths to free the Reader from all suspition at least from all danger of being misled into any unsafe paths If any shall object against the strictness of this exercise or course of life I need say no more to shame such an objection but to set before you some brief instances of the heathen piety shewing how far they went by the light of nature in the observation of these rules which I have laid down their high esteem of godliness in generall above all other things they very oft discover in their writings but we have frequent instances of their practice thereof in particular duties as Prayer It is said of Socrates that his life was nothing but a continuall Prayer so frequent was he therein one passage whereof is reported to be Date ut sim pulcher intus honestus which is in effect the same with that of David Psal 51.10 Create in me a clean heart and renew in me a right spirit Seneca is an eminent example of Ethnick devotion I know how he is accused by some of contradicting his principles by his practices yet it appears what their convictions were however their corrupt affections might prevail against them how we should improve the consideration of Gods omnipresence See Senec. Epist 10. how we should improve the consideration of his providence Epist 107. how we should exercise virtue in every condition Epist 85. how we should apply our selves to God in Prayer Epist 41. how we should behave our selves in Prayer Epist 10. what respect we should have to death and the judgement to come Epist 4 12 26. how carefull we should be in the spending of our time lib. de brevitate vitae in which book he enveighs much against mens profuse expence of their time of which alone we may